Dealing With It
by Nyota
Summary: Characters of NCIS dealing with being kicked off the show in an afterlife setting. Complete, unless the show takes another really unexpected twist later down the road.
1. Chapter 1

**I couldn't sleep after watching the totally...messed up season finale last night, so I wrote this. It shall be my relief this summer as I wait of the new episodes and furiously hope that it was all just a really un-funny practical joke. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, if I did the TEAM WOULD STILL BE TOGETHER! and the description of NCIS is from CBS. **

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Death was such a ominous occasion. No one really knew what happened after death for a human soul.

Most of the few people I knew found it suprising that I didn't know. "Wait," they would say, "Aren't you a guardian over the dead?"

And then I would have to site them down and give then 'the talk.' Which I know is usually reserved for a very touch subject about well… you know.

But this was a different talk. The general message of said talk was "No, I don't know what happens after death, I deal with pseudo-human souls. Big Difference" Then they would give me an odd expression and walk away.

You see, I deal with the souls of the people who die on what humans call a 'story'. Death for a pseudo- human soul isn't the same as it is for a human. Pseudo-human death is a lot easier, because you don't have to die, just be taken off or leave the show.

Once the character is off the show, or book series, or some other form of story, they are no longer needed and have no place to exist. So they are taken to me or one of my colleges so we can baby sit them for the rest of their lives or until they are called to re-join a story. Which isn't often.

On this particular day I was waiting for three pseudo-souls from the TV shows… I glanced down at the clipboard in my hand. That's funny, I thought, they all came from the same TV show.

It was called NCIS. I read the description:

"NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, formerly led this troupe of colorful personalities. Gibbs, a man of few words, only needs a look to explain it all. The team includes NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective who may come off as the world's oldest frat boy, but whose instincts in the field are unparalleled; forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose dark wit matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes, NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field and Ziva David, a former Mossad agent who shares a bond with Gibbs over the death of his arch nemesis, Ari, the terrorist who killed former NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd. Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. Rounding out the team is NCIS director Jennifer Shepard who has a romantic history with Gibbs. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties."

I looked at the names of the pseudo-souls coming in. Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva David and Timothy McGee. Wow, they killed off three major character, the fans must be really going crazy.

I lifted up the sheet of paper to see the one underneath it. Double wow. Someone else was killed off the show an hour and a half before these three. There must have been a nuclear holocaust on this show or something!

The Gates to the SU (Story Underworld) opened. Two men and a woman walked out. Right on time.

"Hi" I said "My name is Mae, I'll be showing you around here for awhile, okay?"

They just looked at me. The woman, who I was assuming was Ziva David, showed few signs of being confused, but her companions were looking at me with their mouths agape.

"Uh, hello" The tallest of the two males said. "The name is DiNozzo"

"Hello DiNozzo," I said, shaking his hand and smiling at him and at the other two. "Let me show you were you will be staying." I led them to a door.

I wasn't quite sure what was on the other side. The room would reflect where the pseudo-souls felt the most comfortable in their story-lives. We liked to keep people from the same stories together, at least for a while, even though their rooms usually look like a mix between Elizabethan England, a beach and the playboy mansion. But I had no clue what room the other casualty had been taken too. I could figure that out later.

I opened the door.

We stepped out in to a giant room. The walls were orange. On one wall were a bunch of face shots of various people. They didn't look very happy. The majority of the room was taken up by desks, each with their own dividing wall, computer and lamp. Near the far end of the room was a stair case leading up to a door labeled MTAC. Well, I thought, that's odd. The room didn't exactly shout comfort.

"This is where you will be staying for a while," I told the deceased.

Wait," the one I was assuming was Timothy McGee said, "What about Boss, and Abby, and the cases!"

I sighed. "They are back in the story, you three, for whatever reason, were taken off, your friends are still on the show."

"So, its over?" DiNozzo asked,

"For now, yes" I smiled sympathetically.

"But what about all the cold-cases, Boss'll need us, because of Jenny, who will he slap on the back of the head?"

"I'm sorry," I told him, "I have no control over the situation" I was starting to get annoyed. I had to go check on my other characters. I started to walk away.

"Wait" Ziva David said. "Can you at least tell us why we were taken off? I know we messed up large time, but I did not see this coming!"

"You don't know why you were taken off?" I asked. Most characters from crime shows were killed by bullets or vengeful serial killers.

"No," Timothy said. "It was very sudden and unexpected, we had no idea."

"Well," I started, "how were you killed off?"

"Ziva was sent back to Israel, Probie was assigned to some geek squad and I was supposed to sail around the world in a ship."

"That's… random," I said, surprised. "I'll see what I can find out about this, in the mean time, I have a lot of work to do, so if you would excuse me…" I slipped out the elevator doors before they could protest.

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**Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I didn't think I was going to add more to this story, but this just... came to me, so I decided to post it.**

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I sighed, closing the door. I had just come from the room of a particularly unsettled patient. I was about to retire for the day, when I remembered the NCIS-newcomers. I had promised them to see what I could find out about their departure from the show. I made my way down to the Director's office.

The director was in charge looking after all pseudo-human souls that came into my section of the SU. She was often in touch with the writers of various stories (though they never remember her) so she was the first logically place to look for answers.

I knocked on her door. "Come in" I heard her say.

I opened the door. "Hi" I said

"Hello Mae, what can I do for you today?" The director asked me without looking up from the sheet of paper she was scanning.

"Well, I'm looking after some souls that just got this morning from a show called NCIS, and they were wondering why they were killed off, because they have no clue,"

"Okay, let me see if I have any information" The director said with a wink. The director always had information.

She pulled out a navy blue folder and began flipping through it. "What are the names of our new guests?" she asked.

"Ziva David, Anthony DiNozzo and Timothy McGee" I answered.

The director frowned. "Well, their deaths are recorded, but my information doesn't say why, in fact, it doesn't even mention it in the summary of the episode I got"

"It was a two-parter" I told her.

"Hmm… oh, here! I was given a note describing the last scene, but still no why"

"Okay," I said, "That's ok" I turned to walk out the door then remembered,

"There was someone else killed off from NCIS that same night, I was wondering where she was so I could combined their rooms."

The director glanced back down at her records "Oh yes, Director Jenny Shepard, we share a title. Her death was complex, she was shot, but she also was dying at the time of her death, the disease wasn't specified, so the doctors are having a hard time erasing it, she is still in the hospital sector."

I thanked the director and left. Unknown sicknesses were bad in the SU. Our healers were good, but they couldn't do much if they didn't know what the person was suffering from. I just wouldn't mention Jenny to the others, hopefully they wouldn't ask any questions about her.

Checking in on the NCIS crowd was the last thing I had to do before I could go to sleep. I was really really looking forward to sleep.

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**Thanks for reading**

**-Nyota**


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